Ranma 1. Chapter 1

_A/N: If you're familiar with my writings, you know that I cover many styles. Most of them are upbeat. So far, I've only written one tragedy fic, The States, and it didn't show any of the actual events; it ended right before. I had an idea for a fic as I was writing Chill Pill, an idea to stretch my writing muscle for dark fics. This is the result._

_I must warn you. This fic is dark. Very dark. It's also extremely graphic. Some characters you know will die, and you'll see them die in graphic detail. I'm kind-of taking a The Crow approach. Ergo, if you can't handle gorey death, stop reading now. You're only wasting my time and yours to read up to the bad parts and then troll my review board._

_Even as I write the above, I already know people will piss and moan in the reviews. I don't know how much more plain I can make it._

_Also, it comes to my attention that this chapter marks one year since I published my first fic, _Akane, What's Wrong?_ I'm still proud of that one._

_And, of course, I do not own Ranma ½. The franchise and all characters are the work of Takahashi Rumiko-san._

* * *

Akane strolled along the street by the aqueduct, with Ranma walking above on the fence. She was actually glad that he wasn't too close. Her mind was going a mile a minute, and he was the reason. Like many people who have a crush, and indeed as Akane had thought about Dr. Tofu in previous years, she kept going through waves of emotion. One day, he'd do or say something that would warm her heart. For a few days after, her feelings for him would intensify. She'd think about him constantly, imagining marrying him and running the dojo with him. She'd get shy around him, blushing and forgetting words when he talked to her. Then, inevitably, he'd say the wrong thing. She'd lose it, pound him through the floor with her hammer, and swear that she hated him. And then... the whole thing would start over again.

On this particular day, she was in full-on love mode. In an unusual gesture, he'd managed to do two things right. First, when she walked into the washitsu in a new summer dress, he'd seemed to like it. Instead of insulting it, like she was afraid he would, he got a bit wide-eyed. When she asked him specifically for his opinion, he looked away, blushed, and mumbled something about it being 'nice'. If that weren't enough, the next day, he showed up with a present for her. It wasn't much, but it was incredibly thoughtful: she'd admired a diary in a shop window, and he'd been observant enough to notice, and thoughtful enough to buy it for her. She was so choked up that she got teary-eyed. It reminded her of their first Christmas together, when he'd done the same thing.

Now, they were on a simple errand, running to the market for Kasumi. In her current mindset, though, this was time with Ranma, and any time with Ranma was good. She wasn't looking forward to what would eventually ruin it. Then again, maybe she'd be so in love that it wouldn't make her angry. Maybe she was turning an emotional corner.

"Airen!" Akane shuddered. It looked like she was about to find out.

Shampoo sprang into view, carrying a takeout box. She jumped and glomped onto him. Ranma seemed flustered by the attention, blushing and starting to sweat. "Hi, Sh... Shampoo," he muttered. Akane became miffed... he never acted like that on account of her! Then again, she never pounced on him so shamelessly. A light bulb went on in her mind— perhaps if she acted like that, she'd get the same kind of attention. Nothing so shameless, of course, but maybe a quick hug before bed would get his attention. She mentally filed that note away. She'd put it into practice that night... assuming she still liked him after this encounter.

Snapping back to the present, she glared at the Chinese girl. "What do you want, Shampoo?" she asked flatly. Shampoo turned to shoot her a dirty look. "Shampoo visiting with future husband!" she replied with a huff. Akane glanced back to Ranma; his expression had shifted from flustered to downright uncomfortable. He looked at her as though begging for help.

She was trying to think of some way she could assist, as another voice sounded. "Ranchan!" the familiar voice of a certain okonomiyaki chef called out. Akane put her palm to her face. Both of them at once? She glanced around, half expecting to see Kodachi Kuno come bounding into view in a flurry of black rose petals.

Ukyo stopped in front of them, glowering at Shampoo, who was still squeezing Ranma around the waist. With a sweep, she pulled the spatula off of her back, wedging it between the two and prying the Chinese girl loose. Ranma looked relieved; Shampoo looked enraged.

"What you doing?"

"Ranma is _my_ fiancée! I'll thank you to keep your hands off of him!"

Shampoo brandished her chúi. Akane groaned. More girls fighting for Ranma. It got to be extremely tiring.

In a flash, weapons were flying. Shampoo threw a chúi; Ukyo swung her spatula and hit it like a baseball. A strike from Ukyo clanged off of the asphalt as Shampoo leapt backwards. The latter retrieved her chúi and swung at Ukyo with both of them, the two girls colliding as chúi met spatula. Ukyo pushed Shampoo back, and as the Chinese girl leapt away again, Ukyo let fly with a volley of miniature spatulas. The tiny projectiles flew in all directions, including flying toward Ranma and Akane.

Akane was about to jump when Ranma flew into action. "Watch it!" he cried, shoving Akane roughly to the ground. Looking up, she saw the other girls still swinging. She stayed in her sitting position, deciding to watch the fight from the ground. After all, it wasn't likely to end any time soon.

Ukyo landed from a jump. "Ready to go on a date after I get rid of this pest?" she asked smugly, looking in Ranma's direction. The smirk dropped from her face, which contorted in horror as she let out a blood-curdling scream. Startled, Akane looked where Ukyo was looking.

She hadn't even realized where Ranma had gone after he'd shoved her, but... there he was. On his back, unmoving. One of Ukyo's tiny spatulas protruded grotesquely from above his left eye, where it looked to be buried at least an inch deep. His eyes looked straight ahead... unseeing.

Ukyo's scream was met with a wail by Shampoo, as both dove to hug his lifeless body. Akane, totally in shock, could only rise to her feet and stare at the spectacle, her mind racing and completely blank at the same time. Without realizing it, tears began to fall, streaming down her cheeks.

The sound of a siren jerked her mind back to reality. The other girls had the same realization, jumping to their feet. The authorities were sure to find him, and any of them could be accused of what had happened. All three leapt away, with Akane jumping to a tree in a nearby vacant lot.

From her vantage point, she was able to watch as the police car stopped. The officer knelt by Ranma for a moment, and returned to his car. After what seemed like an eternity, an ambulance drove up. The officer got out of his car, talking to the two paramedics who looked over Ranma before covering him with a sheet.

Akane started to shake uncontrollably. She prayed to the kami that the policeman wouldn't see the tree moving.

She watched as the paramedics put Ranma in the ambulance and drove away, their siren remaining silent. The policeman took some photos of the street before he left as well. Akane couldn't seem to make her legs work; she stayed in the tree for another hour.

* * *

By the time she arrived home, the police were already there, and the others had received the news. Kasumi and Nabiki shed silent tears, Nodoka cried audibly, and the fathers failed loud enough that Hokkaido could hear them. Akane just sat in silence, her face contorted in sorrow. One thought ran through her mind over and over: he'd died trying to save her. That was the very last thing he'd done. Just like he'd saved her at Jusendo, except this time, it had cost him his life.

Nodoka eventually composed herself enough to drag her husband home, while Soun started drowning his sorrows in a bottle of sake. The three sisters shared a hug, and it was this affection that finally cracked through Akane's shock. She bawled like a baby.

Nabiki went to bed after an hour, followed by Kasumi dragging the barely-conscious Soun off and going to bed herself.

The night was sleepless for Akane. She didn't even try, choosing instead to spend the night wandering around the house and yard. It was strange; she found herself noticing things she hadn't thought about in years. Specific places she played when she was too young to even go to school. Finally, she found herself in the dojo, but there was no desire to work out. While the dojo had received the brunt of her anger in the past, at that moment, she was still too numb. The crying she'd done earlier had helped, but it still hadn't sunk in.

And as hard as she tried, she just couldn't get the image of Ranma's lifeless body out of her mind.

* * *

Akane walked through the front door, bags in both hands. She was met in the hallway by Kasumi. She was glad she'd left a note. The eldest Tendo gave her a weak smile. "Breakfast isn't ready yet, Akane-chan," she said. "I guess you got back early enough."

Akane nodded. "I went to buy some stuff," she explained. "And I found everything quicker than I expected." Kasumi nodded and headed back to the kitchen, as Akane turned to start up the steps. Then, a thought hit her, and she hurried to the furo, which was empty. Inside, she opened the hamper, and found what she was looking for: Ranma's clothes. She grabbed the half-dozen of his undershirts that she found there, and rushed upstairs to her bedroom.

Inside, she set the bags down, and paused to smell one of the undershirts, tears coming to her eyes as memories flooded back. She was taken back to Jusendo, and the time he'd pulled her away from Ryoga's projectiles. Oh, the nights she'd lay in bed just imagining him and his smell, wishing he was lying with her.

She looked back to the bags. She'd left just as the sun was rising, and the walk to the shopping district had reminded her of her feelings for him. His very last action only cemented the crush she'd had on him, and that thought made her even more sure of the idea she'd had while thinking in the dojo. Once the fog in her brain had cleared, she realized that, as a martial artist, there was only one path to follow... given the loss of her love.

Quickly stripping her clothes, Akane dumped the bags out onto the bed. In Japan, white is the color of death; the first layer would be white, as a way of keeping Ranma close to her. She pulled on a white pair of shorts from what she'd bought. There were also white undershirts, but she tossed them aside, instead pulling one of Ranma's on. She reached for the biggest item she'd bought that morning: a new black karategi. She pulled it on slowly. The black color had one meaning: revenge. To accentuate the point, she'd chosen a blood-red obi, which she used to tie the top closed.

She turned to look at herself in the mirror. She looked pale; she wasn't sure if it was the emotions of the previous day, or an illusion created by the black gi. She looked a bit like a female Hikaru Gosunkugi, but that idea didn't bother her. In fact, it matched the way she felt.

"Ranma," she said to her reflection. "I will avenge your death. If it takes the rest of my life, Ukyo and Shampoo will die for taking you away from me." She closed her eyes for a moment, opening them when she heard a soft knock at the door. It opened, revealing Nabiki. "Kasumi said breakfast's ready," she said quietly. Then, she sized up Akane. "New outfit of choice?" she asked weakly. Akane turned to face her.

"They'll pay," she said quietly.

Nabiki gave her a nod. "I know I should talk you out of whatever you're thinking," she said, "but... I just can't." Akane sighed. "It wasn't supposed to end this way," she said softly. "I really did... want to... marry him. I... loved him." Nabiki choked back a sob, slipping back into the hallway and closing the door behind her. Akane examined her reflection once more, and began disrobing.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow... it would begin.

* * *

_A/N: Let me know what you think! We'll be going on quite the journey from here on out._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Here we are with the next chapter. My original idea really covered what begins with this chapter; the last was meant to be a lead-in. That's why it was a bit short. Some reviews have expressed doubt about the very premise of the story. Notice this: the premise doesn't matter. What you are about to get into was the bulk of the story as I'd planned it; Ranma's death was just something that had to happen so that the events of the story could occur. This story isn't about the events, anyway— it's about the imagery. This is one of those fics where my original idea was about the description, not what I was describing._

_And, keep in mind: in the original series, Ranma was indestructible. People can't really jump from three-storey buildings and not break a limb or two. So with this fic, I was actually taking a step back to reality. And besides... my idea was that Ranma was concentrating on Akane, and that's why he didn't see it coming. Is that so hard to believe?_

_Why is it that the fics I do on a lark get really popular, and the ones I'm proud of are universally panned? Oh, well. You can't please everybody all the time. _(^_^)

_Warning: There are limes in this chapter._

* * *

_Akane opened her eyes and rolled over to see Ranma's face. He gave her a smile. "Morning," she whispered. He put an arm around her. "Hey tomboy," he replied. His statement was met with a pout._

"_I hate it when you call me that."_

"_Why?"_

"_Why? Do you seriously not know? I mean..." She drew a circle on the pillow with her finger. "Girls want their boyfriends to think they're girly. When you call me that, I don't feel like I'm sexy."_

_He grinned. "Aw, come on. It's a joke! You know how cute you are."_

"_Yeah, but... those girls that hang all over you..."_

"_What about 'em?"_

"_Well, they're so girly, and... you know... it's like you're enjoying these girly girls pawing at you and ignoring me... because I'm not as girly as they are."_

_He pulled her close. "If I really liked any of them, do you think I'd still be at your house with you? Shampoo's been trying forever to drag me back to China with her! What do you think keeps me here? Your _cooking_?"_

_She felt tears come to her eyes. "Why would you say that? Huh? You know how self-conscious I am about my cooking!"_

_He snaked a hand behind her head, drawing her into a slow kiss. He pulled back, giving her a quirky grin. "Don't you get it? I means the only reason I'm here is that I love you. If I didn't, there'd be no reason to stay. Get it?"_

"_Can't you say anything nice without insulting me?"_

"_No."_

_She looked at him like he was from another planet._

"_That's how I talk. You just don't listen close enough. Stop paying attention to what I'm joking about and listen to what I'm actually saying."_

"_Yeah but..." She sighed. "When you say those things, those insults... don't you know it hurts me?"_

"_Like it would hurt to have your fiancée tell you that your engagement never happened, because some crazy Chinese girl is stalking him?"_

_Akane teared up again. "I should've believed you. You can't know how sorry I've always been about that." She started to sob. Ranma tightened his embrace. "Don't worry about it," he said soothingly. "I figured out you didn't mean it. I don't mean to hurt you, either. Do you really think I'd hurt you on purpose?"_

_She shook her head, reaching up to wipe her eyes. He put his lips to hers in another slow kiss. She slid her arms around him, running her hands along his back, and realizing for the first time that he was completely naked under the sheets. Leaning on his arms, he climbed on her, his pigtail flopping down beside his head. The feel of his skin on hers told her that she was as bare as he was. She groaned as he gave her another kiss, this time exploring her tongue with his own. She moved her hands lower, enjoying every muscle she could feel while she pulled him against her. She started to sweat._

_She broke their kiss, breathing hard. "Oh, Ranma," she moaned, planting a kiss on his neck. "Ranma! I love you! Don't ever leave me!"_

"_Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."_

"_Don't ever leave me, Ranma..."_

She awoke with a start, lying in the exact position she'd just been dreaming she was in, but seeing only the ceiling above her. It took a moment for her mind to register that Ranma wasn't really in the room with her. It took another moment for her to remember the events of the last couple of days. The realization that her wonderful dream could never come true filtered into her brain.

She sobbed like a baby, hugging herself but finding no relief.

* * *

She started the morning like any other: an early run followed by breakfast. After her return, however, she set off on a new path. She donned her new outfit from the day before, with the exception of wearing one of her new shirts, to keep from sweating on Ranma's. Then, she headed straight for the dojo, closing the door behind her.

Once inside, she started a workout routine more intense than anything she'd done before. She flew through her attacks with a ferocity that made her previous fights look like child's play. The screams that came with each strike echoed across most of Nerima. Pieces of practice dummies flew in all directions. It wasn't until mid-afternoon that she finally exhausted her adrenaline, and collapsed against the wall of the dojo, surrounded by the splinters of her faux sparring partners.

The door slid open. Akane blinked against the daylight, making out the silhouette of her oldest sister. Kasumi entered, setting a tray of food on the floor. "I figured the silence meant you were resting," she said quietly. Akane merely nodded. Kasumi motioned for her to come over, pouring two cups of tea.

"How are you feeling today, Akane-chan?" Kasumi asked with a weak smile. Akane took a sip of tea. "Bad, oneesan," she said "Really, really... bad." Kasumi nodded, while Akane bit into a rice ball. Kasumi set her cup down. "It's not going to be the same," she said. "I knew that you guys fought, but it always seemed like you loved eachother, deep down. I thought he'd always be around, you know? He'd be my brother-in-law. Now..." She sniffed, putting a hand over her face.

Akane moved to give her a hug, and they cried together. "I miss him so much," Akane muttered between sobs.

* * *

After a good cry and some good food, Akane wandered back to the house, heading to her bedroom. She set about looking for something in particular. She found her bokken but immediately set it aside; she was looking for something similar yet different, something that she hadn't touched in some time.

After a few minutes of searching, she found it: her katana. She'd bought it a couple of years ago, intent on doing weapon training, but had lost interest shortly thereafter. She unsheathed the weapon. She'd neglected to oil it in some time, but it looked sharp and rust-free. She rose, wanting to test her skills. She pulled an apple out of her pocket, setting it on the desk. Holding the katana at her side, she flipped it up and sliced at the fruit, hitting it with one pass, then flipping her hand over to slice it in the other direction. She set the weapon down and examined the apple, pleased with the results: she'd hit it with the tip both times. She was trying to cut a wedge out of it horizontally; the cuts weren't precise enough, but they weren't as far off as she'd thought they would be.

Putting the apple back down, she started searching her desk for her oil and cloth. The rest of the day would be spent getting back into practice. By nightfall, her aim needed to be perfect.

* * *

A cold wind blew down the alley, lifting the bottom of Shampoo's cheongsam. She put her hands at her sides to hold it down. The sun had set hours ago; she figured it must have been past midnight by now. Being out this late wasn't her first choice, but she'd wanted time to train in the park, and there had been late deliveries. Another breeze chilled her. Maybe it was Ranma's death, but something made the night extra-spooky. She couldn't help thinking that Ranma was looking down with anger. After all, it was her duty as an Amazon to keep her husband alive, and she hadn't. Truth be told, it was her honor that was really bugging her. There hadn't been love in her heart, though she certainly enjoyed what she felt when she squeezed him. She wasn't tied to Ranma through feelings; it was honor, which she'd lost. Ranma's death ultimately meant defeat. She was supposed to marry him and bring him back to Joketsuzoku, and his death meant that she couldn't. She had failed.

She stopped walking. Something didn't feel right. She couldn't figure out what, but her instincts were telling her that there was danger around. Without warning, an arrow fired from a clump of bushes in front of her. She dodged it with ease, simply leaning back as it flew overhead. She straightened, smirking. "Akane Tendo," she said aloud. "Even for you, that attack was weak!"

And she fell to the ground.

She looked around. What had happened? She went to stand, but collapsed again, a light flash of pain coming from her left leg. She looked down, and gasped at what she saw. There was a gash, about two inches below her knee. It had been made with something razor sharp; that was clear by the crisp edges of the wound. She was horrified by how deep it was— her leg was laid open. She had easily been sliced to the bone. She could see more than an inch inside; grotesquely visible were the veins, tendons, and tissue. Dark red blood poured out of the gash, quickly creating a puddle under her. She realized why she fell— the tendon behind her knee had been cut with precision. Her leg wasn't going to be working again anytime soon; she'd be fighting this battle handicapped.

Akane stepped out from the shadows, a blood-dripping katana in her hand. She wore a black bandanna over her face, but Shampoo would recognize her shape anywhere. In the dark, her black gi left barely an outline, and her whole appearance was frighteningly similar to that of a ninja. Shampoo struggled to remain calm, already feeling panic rise at the sight of her ghastly injury. She knew that starting a battle as the underdog didn't mean things were hopeless. She pulled her hidden chúi, throwing them Akane's direction. One missed completely; the other flew toward Akane, who simply leaned to the side, deftly slicing it in two with a sweep of her katana. The two pieces clattered to the ground next to her.

Amazons were trained to be brave, as were most martial artists, but one cannot overcome basic human instinct. Having no weapons, and thereby no means of survival, any semblance of control vacated the Chinese girl. While fighting to the death sounded glamorous, at that moment, her survival skills kicked in, overriding anything that training had taught her. In the 'fight or flight' decision process, her mind switched to flight. Putting her palms to the asphalt, she started scooting backwards as fast as she could, her face contorted in terror.

This mode of transportation was obviously no way to race. Shampoo moved as fast as she could manage, watching in horror as Akane followed her. It wouldn't have been as frightening if the girl had caught up to her and simply done her in right there, but Akane opted to follow at a walk, simply keeping pace as Shampoo continued her escape. It was a painful escape; Shampoo winced as her leg wound dragged the ground, peeling backwards and collecting all manner of road debris. A trail of blood followed her as she struggled to move; she wondered if Akane's tactic was to laugh as she let her bleed to death.

She came to an embankment about a foot high. Reaching frantically, she found a metal bar on top of it, and grabbed hold. She pulled herself atop of it, and, stretching forward, found another to continue pulling herself with. She'd barely reached for it, however, before Akane took a quick step forward, stepping hard onto her injured leg. She screamed in agony.

"Now... you pay," Akane said, barely loud enough to be heard. Shampoo twisted to look up at her, her eyes filled with fright. "Akane Tendo, you coward!" she yelled. "Sneaking is no way to start battle!" She was met with a dark laugh.

Suddenly, the ground under her started to vibrate. She wondered if Akane had developed some sort of magical powers that she was preparing to unleash. "What happening?" she asked in a panic. "What you doing?" Just then, she was blinded by a white light. As soon as her vision returned, she looked down, shrieking in horror as the realization hit her: the metal bars she'd been climbing over were railroad tracks, and the shaking and light were from a quickly approaching train engine. "Enjoy returning to China in a box!" Akane shouted over the roar of the train, stepping off and disappearing into the shadows. The train's brakes locked down, but the engineer was spotting her after rounding a corner just a couple of blocks away, and there was no way the train would stop in time...

Akane walked, slowly and in silence, listening to the sounds of the train screeching to a halt. Returning to her original hiding spot, she retrieved her crossbow, and the piece of rope she'd used to fire it from a distance. Looking across the alley, she found the arrow, broken in two at the base of the wall. She picked it up. Being careful not to step in the puddle of blood in front of her, she headed off toward home.

"I didn't defend you against her when you were here with me," she said, looking up to the stars, which shone brightly in the moonless night. "I hope this makes up for it."

* * *

Akane awoke early the next morning. She sat up, running through the previous night in her mind. She looked over to her katana, which lay in its sheath on her desk. She smiled at her ingenuity, having wiped it down with peroxide the night before. Even if the police _did_ coming looking, there wouldn't be anything to find. Sitting by the katana was one of Ranma's undershirts, the one she'd worn last night. She picked it up, giving it a light kiss.

She was halfway to honoring his memory.

Downstairs, she found Nabiki in the washitsu, watching television. The middle Tendo gave her a wave. Akane sat, frowning at the program on the TV. It wasn't a favorite. At that moment, however, the program cut away, as a title card announcing breaking news took its place. The station cut to a desk reporter, who started to read a report.

"Tōkyō Metropolitan Police are announcing the apparent homicide of a young girl in Nerima-ku. Police say the victim is ethnically Chinese, and may have been in the country illegally. She was struck by a train on the Toshima line of the Seibu Railway around two o'clock this morning. At first, authorities believed she may have been sleeping on the track, but further investigation revealed injuries inconsistent with the train strike. Police are asking for your help in identifying the victim. She is female, in her mid-teens, with purple hair. She was found wearing a cheongsam. If you have any information, please contact Tokyo Metro Police. Thank you."

The program returned to the screen. At the bottom, a message crawl relayed the same message, with the added information: "THE VICTIM SUFFERED DECAPITATION AND AMPUTATION OF THE RIGHT ARM AS A RESULT OF THE TRAIN COLLISION; HOWEVER, THE VICTIM ALSO HAD A WOUND TO THE LEG, WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE OCCURRED TWO BLOCKS AWAY. POLICE SUSPECT THE VICTIM WAS ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE AN ATTACKER AT THE TIME OF DEATH. ANYONE IN KŌYAMA-MACHI WHO WITNESSED ANYTHING UNUSUAL SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT TŌKYŌ METROPOLITAN POLICE."

Akane simply drummed her fingers on the table, unsure how to react. She heard Nabiki take a breath, and looked to see her wide-eyed sister staring at her. "Akane," she whispered. "What did..." Akane cut her off. "I told you, Nabiki," she said, lowering her head and looking at her through her bangs. "They... would... pay..."

* * *

_A/N: Before you mention it in a review; Ranma was supposed to be OOC in the dream sequence. I thought it would be accurate for her memories of him to be a bit rosy. Let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: The last chapter wound up a bit short. The way Shampoo bit it was a part of my original idea, and I liked it, but ultimately it didn't make for a great deal of action. (It was the darkness more than the action that I was going for, anyway.) I decided to put some more action in this chapter._

* * *

Ukyo sat in class, feeling like she was having a mental breakdown. The rumors of Ranma's death had already spread throughout the student body, and she'd been hounded with questions all day. Fortunately, no one guessed that she was the one responsible. She'd never forget that moment as long as she lived— looking toward Ranma, only to see him lying on the ground, with one of her own weapons in his head. His eyes were... she knew he was gone the moment she saw him.

Then, she'd heard of Shampoo. The students of Furinkan didn't know enough of the Amazons to realize that the girl on the train tracks was the one from the Nekohanten, but Ukyo knew as soon as she heard the news broadcast. And... she knew exactly what had happened. There was no way that Shampoo hurt her leg by accident and just happened to fall on train tracks. She'd hoped that Akane wouldn't blame her, and they could help eachother through the grief, but clearly, Akane wasn't so forgiving.

Ukyo turned to look at Akane's empty seat. 'And she didn't come to school today,' Ukyo thought. She shivered.

* * *

Ukyo opened her restaurant after school, but her mind was hardly on her work. She was devastated at the loss of Ranma, at first. Deep down, however, everyone thinks of themselves before anything else, and her mind had switched to paranoia the minute she'd found out that Shampoo had died. Every time she walked down the street, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Even now, she was sure that one of the unfamiliar patrons was Akane in disguise. That girl was somewhere... there was no doubt about it. Ukyo was confident in her skills, but she also knew that she'd fought Shampoo to a stalemate more than once... and Akane managed to take her in what sounded like an easy battle. Either she had chemicals, or tricks, or was just that good at the element of surprise. Maybe she was just that lucky. In any event, Ukyo feared that she had no chance if she didn't see the attack coming. She had to be on her toes... letting Akane get the drop on her could mean her death.

And any fighter knows that anger can have an effect on someone. Akane was _always _angry... so what happened when something made her even angrier? She may have lost her mind completely. Ukyo squeezed her eyes closed. She hated the thought that she might have to kill Akane to save her own life. Enough people were dead already! It couldn't continue!

She opened her eyes, looking down and nervously flipping the okonomiyaki she was working on. It couldn't continue...

* * *

Nightfall came, and with it, a figure in black, peeking over the wall that separated Uuchan's from the house next door. A pair of eyes watched the windows on the second floor. For what seemed like hours, they remained black, but eventually, a light came on in the nearest window. This particular window had a special meaning: it was the furo. Ukyo was still downstairs, so the person inside must have been Konatsu. The voyeur dropped back below the wall.

Inside, Ukyo was just closing up shop, locking the front door and removing the noren. Still in a bit of a daze, she wandered over to the nearest table, flipping its chairs upside-down on top. She paused as the thoughts continued to race through her mind: she'd fought for her man, he'd died because she was careless, and now the seemingly-least-threatening of his fiancées was on a vendetta, almost certainly wanting her dead. How did things go so wrong? She thought she'd had Ranma's affection in the bag. Sure, Shampoo also chased him and made him meals, and was _far_ more shameless in her flaunting herself, but the look on Ranma's face every time she showed up revealed his true feelings: that no matter how much he tried to be friends with her, deep down he thought she was completely insane. You could see the apprehension in his eyes, just for a moment, as though he had to bury his fear every time he interacted with her. And Akane... it never seemed like they could stand eachother at all. Ranma seemed completely uninterested, and who could blame him? Here's this completely unattractive girl, training to be a martial artist but not any good, training to be a housewife and... failing. Miserably. The girl just wasn't good at anything; everything she touched went wrong. Ukyo couldn't imagine what Akane's parenting skills would be like.

Then again, she must have figured _something _out if she managed to kill Shampoo...

Snapping back to reality, Ukyo hurried to the next table, flipping the chairs on top of it, and continued until all of the chairs were up. The procedure was to make vacuuming easier, but that was going to wait. She was still a bit shaky and didn't particularly feel like running around with a vacuum cleaner; she'd do it before school the next day. She headed back behind the counter, where the cooktop was still hot. At that moment, she wanted to get some food in her stomach and get upstairs to bed. At least Konatsu would be in the next room. She paused to look out across the empty restaurant; with the dining room lights off, the lights from behind the counter cast an eerie light across the rest of the room. There was just enough of a reflection on the windows to make her jump every time she caught sight of herself. The only sound was the faint ticking of a clock on the far wall. Despite her best efforts, she was more creeped out than ever. She stood, staring straight ahead.

"You're here... aren't you?"

Without even a sound beforehand, she found herself slammed down roughly onto the cooktop, her face grinding into the hot surface. She screamed in agony as a searing pain shot around her head, though the intensity of the pain was surpassed by the audible sizzle and sickening smell as the grill burned her flesh. She thrashed behind her, trying and failing to get her attacker off of her back. Finally with a lurch, she threw herself sideways as her attacker rolled off, landing and jumping into a fighting stance. Ukyo staggered back to face her, instantly recognizing Akane's figure, dressed completely in black with her face covered. She put a hand toward her face but held it a few inches away, afraid to touch what hurt worse than anything she'd ever felt. She couldn't see what Akane saw: that she was so badly burned that part of her face was still stuck to the grill.

Her eyes watering from the pain, she reached back and pulled her spatula. "Akane," she growled, "if you hadn't attacked me like that, I would have begged you to sit and talk about it with me. But I'm not letting you get away with frying me on my own grill!" She leapt, swinging at Akane, who dodged by putting a foot on a shelf and flipping over the chef. Akane smiled beneath the bandana she wore as a mask, knowing that she could walk away now and Ukyo would be maimed for the rest of her life. Not some mark where only Ukyo had to look at it, but right where everyone could see it. And stare.

They both looked up as footsteps raced across the floor above. "Ukyo?" Konatsu's voice yelled down the steps. Akane heard him start down. Reacting quick, she grabbed a heavy bottle of sake from the shelf nearest to her. As Konatsu appeared from upstairs, she let the bottle fly, scoring a direct hit on the side of his head. The kunoichi flopped face-down at the foot of the steps.

"Konatsu!" Ukyo cried. She looked at Akane, rage building inside her. With a battle cry, she leapt, taking a mad swing with her spatula. Akane managed to dodge the weapon, but caught a kick to the ribs, which slammed her against a wall. Dust wafted down from the ceiling. Ukyo came at her again, but she recovered, drawing her katana. Ukyo swung again; Akane dodged it. Akane swung with her katana, which Ukyo dodged, but with a leap and a kick she managed to graze the burned side of Ukyo's face. Ukyo gasped from the pain but stayed up, planting her feet. She swung again, which Akane barely managed to duck under. Akane threw a low kick at Ukyo, connecting with her hip while Ukyo managed to land a punch on the side of her head. The two jumped back, facing eachother again.

"Akane," Ukyo said, "why are you doing this? You know I didn't hurt Ranchan on purpose..."

"Don't you _dare_ call him that!"

Ukyo saw an opening created by Akane's anger. She smirked "Why not? He touched _me_ more than he touched _you_..."

Akane frowned, but maintained her composure. She knew a psych-out when she heard it. Her training was in Anything-Goes martial arts; she knew what to expect. Besides, Ukyo smirking past the oozing burn on her face reminded her more of the damage she'd already done. She certainly wasn't the 'cute fiancée' anymore. After a second, she launched a calculated leap at Ukyo. Ukyo dodged, which was exactly what Akane expected her to do, spinning and landing a kick to Ukyo's chest that sent her sprawling. She leapt back to her feet. Akane quickly threw a punch and spun to deliver a low kick, expecting her punch to be blocked, but Ukyo was quicker, leaping backwards and swinging her spatula. It missed, but only by the narrowest of margins, blowing Akane's hair back from the wind it generated.

Ukyo jumped, swinging her spatula in a complex pattern intended to leave Akane no room to escape it. After a few misses, she managed to connect, though a quick inward rush by Akane meant that it was only the handle, a few inches from where Ukyo held it, that made contact. It landed against her shoulder. She grunted but made her revenge, making a quick spinning kick and, when Ukyo dodged it, swung her katana high, slicing Ukyo's spatula in half.

The okonomiyaki chef stared at the severed handle in her hands before throwing it to the ground. As Akane flipped backwards, Ukyo pulled and threw her mini spatulas, the tiny projectiles jamming into the floor in a line. Akane landed in a crouch, and stared at the weapons.

The same kind that killed Ranma.

She looked up at Ukyo, a rage in her eyes that Ukyo had never seen before. One that frightened her. With a scream of fury, Akane leapt at Ukyo, swinging wildly. Ukyo managed to dodge a punch and a kick, but a second punch connected with her jaw. She shook it off. As Akane threw another punch, Ukyo grabbed her arm to flip her, but Akane managed to spin, connecting her elbow with Ukyo's nose. There was a sickening crunch as pain coursed through Ukyo's head. It felt like it radiated all the way through to the back. She took a step back, looking down through watery eyes as drops of blood landed on the floor; Akane looked with some satisfaction as the blood started to run.

Enraged but also dizzy from the pain, Ukyo launched another attack, but she was too sloppy. As she attempted a punch, Akane grabbed her arm, flipping her backwards, causing her to slam into a wall upside-down and back-first. The wall gave slightly, sending bits of plaster falling from the ceiling and making the hanging lights sway. Ukyo slid to the floor. She struggled to her feet, a bit slower than before. The injuries she'd received were starting to add up, and aside from the pain from her nose, her pounding heartbeat throbbed through the burns on her face.

She sprang at Akane again, now convinced that a failure to do some real damage would cost her any chance of winning this fight. Akane, however, was keeping her confidence in check, knowing that the job wasn't finished. A slip-up now could cost her. Ukyo let loose with a flurry of punches and kicks, managing to graze Akane's jaw with one and connect with her shoulder with another. Akane blocked a strike and a kick, swinging a kick of her own. It missed, and Ukyo managed to grab her ankle out of midair. Had she been on top of her game, she might have thrown Akane completely out of the restaurant. Weakened as she was, however, her toss only sent Akane sprawling to the floor. She jumped to her feet, appearing unfazed though actually feeling the pain from it. She knew that landing on the hard floor likely bruised a few ribs.

She stood, waiting for an attack, but Ukyo simply stood her ground. After a pause, Akane threw a weak punch from the left, followed by a stronger one with her right. Ukyo managed to block both; in close, Akane gave her a shove and took another swing. Ukyo blocked it, but didn't manage to block the kick that Akane landed on her midsection, getting thrown against the edge of the counter. She swung her arms to catch her balance, fearing another fall onto the hot grill, but before she could even fully catch herself, Akane thrust forward with the katana, burying it straight into Ukyo, right above her hip.

Ukyo gasped, emptying her lungs. Oddly enough, it wasn't pain that she felt at first, just the gruesome sensation of the cold steel sliding through her body. Then came the pain, worse than even her nose injury. Akane pulled the weapon out as Ukyo looked down to where it connected. It was in the right spot to have hit a kidney; there was no doubt now that she'd at least be spending time in the hospital... if she even made it out of this. The cold feeling of liquid running down her back told her that the sword had gone all the way through and out her back. Feeling dizzy, she dropped to her knees, before her training overrode her panic and she dragged herself to her feet.

She planted her feet unsteadily, taking ragged breaths as she squared off with Akane again. She launched a feeble strike, but Akane knocked her hand away, slamming a hard punch into the back of her head. Landing and planting her feet, Akane swung a roundhouse kick to Ukyo's midsection. Ukyo managed to dodge it, but lost her balance, stumbling backwards and falling, slamming the back of her head hard against the edge of the counter.

She struggled to her feet again, now seeing stars from the blows to the head. She looked up at Akane, but only saw a foot as a second roundhouse kick connected with the side of her head. Unconscious, she flopped onto the grill, like before but with everything above the waist landing on the hot surface.

Akane stood, catching her breath as she put her katana back in its sheath. She rolled her shoulders, feeling aches that indicated that she'd have bruises for a week or two. Then, she remembered Konatsu, who was still out cold at the foot of the steps. She rushed to him; the bottle had left a cut on his temple, from which a small trail of blood ran. The bottle had broken when it hit the floor, leaving sake spilled everywhere. Tears came to Akane's eyes. She really hadn't wanted to hurt him.

Grabbing him by the wrists, she proceeded to drag him across the floor, careful to avoid the sake puddle and broken glass. As she passed Ukyo, she saw smoke starting to emanate from Ukyo's clothes where they were laying on the grill. "Burn in hell," she said coldly, pulling Konatsu past and to the back door.

Once she reached it, she picked Konatsu up and slung him over her shoulder, wincing as aches radiated through her sides. She looked around; the alley behind was too close to the building to be safe. Moving as fast as she could, she raced to the end of the alley and around the corner. There, she gently laid him on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry, Konatsu," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I had to."

Rising, she broke into a run for home. She could already smell smoke coming from Uuchan's.

It took her just a few minutes to get back, and she headed straight for the furo. There, she turned on the taps to the furo as she quickly wiped down the katana with peroxide, also pausing to pour some into the sheath. Setting the weapon aside, she started removing her clothes, biting her lip from the pain she felt. Completely disrobed, she examined herself in the mirror. There was a nasty bruise on her shoulder, and an even uglier welt under it from the handle of Ukyo's spatula. She also had a faint bruise on her jaw, as well as some smaller marks around her midsection. "I look a lot better than _she_ does," she said out loud wearily. The furo full, she turned the water off and quickly showered. Climbing into the furo, she sat, enjoying the feel of the hot water. She knew the bruises would ache for a few days; might as well try to ease them now.

She looked over to the door, and laughed. "Ranma," she whispered, "remember when I walked in on you the first night you were here? What a way to see the real you for the first time." She closed her eyes. "Want to know a secret? I was freaked out at the time, but after a few days... I realized how much I liked what I saw. You have _no idea _how many times I replayed that moment in my mind."

* * *

The next day was an odd one for the students at Furinkan: Akane was back at school, but Ukyo was not. While the rumor mill had been in full swing after Ranma died, no one seemed to know why Ukyo was absent, though the general assumption was delayed grief from Ranma's death. Akane spent the afternoon at home, not saying a word; it was evening when the rest of the Tendos found out about the most recent death in Nerima.

The three Tendo sisters walked toward central Nerima, heading to the market. Uuchan's was on the way, and Akane felt slightly uneasy going near. She didn't think there was any chance that the authorities would come after her, but she was still a little nervous. They turned a corner by the restaurant, and Kasumi audibly gasped at the sight: Uuchan's, tied off with police tape, with blackened stains rising from the holes where the windows used to be. A small crowd was gathered, and as they got closer, Akane recognized several people from school, including Yuka, Sayuri, Hiroshi, and Daisuke.

Nabiki and Kusumi were wide-eyed. "What happened?" Nabiki asked no one in particular. Daisuke turned to her. "There was a fire," he said sadly. "We were just talking to an investigator." Nabiki turned her eyes on Akane. "Oh?" she said. "How did it start?"

Hiroshi turned a shade of green, before shaking his head and hurrying away. The others looked at the ground. "Ukyo passed out on the grill," Yuka said quietly. "She... the grill..." "It set her clothes on fire," Sayuri finished quickly. "That's what caught the rest on fire. The investigator said they found a broken sake bottle. He thought she passed out from drinking."

"So, Ukyo's..." Nabiki said.

"She didn't make it," Yuka said, her voice cracking.

Kasumi shook her head. "Poor Ukyo was probably depressed about Ranma," she said. "What happened to him affected all of us." The others nodded. Akane couldn't imagine that Kasumi believed that; she gained a little respect for her older sister for seemingly overlooking what she'd done.

Nabiki was still looking at her younger sister out of the corner of her eye. "What about her waitress Konatsu?" she asked. "Did she get out all right?"

"Oh, that cute girl with the really long hair?" Daisuke asked. "She was here earlier. I guess she woke up in an ambulance in the street. Apparently they found her outside. She didn't remember getting out, though... she had a knot on her head; the firemen said she probably got hit by something escaping." Nabiki finally took her eyes off of Akane. "Glad to hear she didn't get left inside," she mumbled.

After their shopping trip, they returned to the Tendo house. Akane headed into the washitsu, where Kasumi stopped her. "Akane," she said, looking a bit worried. "I know you had something to do with this. You have to stop. You can't wipe out half of Nerima because they dishonored Ranma. I know you're upset about this, but this isn't a healthy way..." Akane put her arms on Kasumi's shoulders. "Oneesan," she said, "I set out to avenge Ranma. There were two people responsible for his death, Shampoo and Ukyo. They were fighting over him when it happened. My job is finished. I've done all I need to. There won't be any more. I promise." Kasumi merely gave her a nod, heading out of the room.

As she left, Soun, Genma, and Nabiki entered. Genma was a bit teary-eyed. Nabiki looked at her with a harsh look on her face. "Why, Akane?" she said plainly. Akane returned her glare. "Martial arts is about more than fancy moves, Nabiki," she said. "It's about honor. If you don't practice, you can't possibly comprehend that. All you need to know is, Ukyo and Shampoo treated Ranma like an object, and in their fighting over him, he was _killed_. A martial artist has to be avenged. Even though we weren't the nicest to eachother... he was my fiancée. I never forgot that. It was my duty. And besides..." Her voice cracked. "I really did love him."

"How could you possibly know how he died? They found his body lying in the street. You weren't there!"

"Yes, I was."

Nabiki's mouth dropped open. "You... you were? And you didn't do anything?"

"There was nothing I _could_ do. Shampoo and Ukyo were throwing their weapons around, and before I could blink, one of Ukyo's little spatulas had hit him." A sob escaped her throat as she started to cry. "He was pushing me out of the way when it hit him. He died saving my life. Then there were sirens... the two of them ran, I was afraid of the police showing up, so I hid in a tree while they took him away. I already knew they couldn't save him. It hit him right in the head."

Nabiki looked at the floor. It was several seconds before she answered. "You're wrong about one thing," she said quietly. "I _do _understand. If a guy gave his life for _me_..." She patted Akane on the arm and left.

Genma stepped in front of Akane, taking her hands. "You've done my son a great honor," he said, tears running down his cheeks. "You've shown yourself to be a true martial artist. Even if the schools won't be joined in blood... I know you'll carry on in his memory." He embraced her.

Soun produced a bottle of sake. "A toast to his memory," he said quietly, taking some glasses from a shelf. "You too, Akane," he continued. "You're young for sake, but this is a special occasion." Akane nodded. "Just a little," she said. Soun filled two glasses and poured a small amount into a third. They took the glasses, holding them in the air silently before drinking their contents. Akane nearly gagged, despite the tiny amount in the glass. She made a mental note never to touch the stuff again.

Unbeknownst to the three of them, a pair of eyes peered at them from atop the garden wall.

* * *

_A/N: I'm such an ass that I'm not even going to tell you who it is that was watching them. Go ahead and make your guesses now. My updates are a bit slow since I'm going over each chapter with a fine-toothed comb, so you'll have a few days to guess. (Besides, I'll be getting the next update to "Chill Pill" out before I do the next chapter here.) I will say this: next chapter will be the last. There is one more event to happen in all of this. Stay tuned._


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, folks, this is the very last chapter to _Revenge_. I hope you've liked the ride._

_I have to first apologize for how long it took to get this finished. I just moved, and with all the settling, it wound up delaying me on both this fic and the other one I have in progress, _Chill Pill_. I always planned this to be four chapters, and I definitely wouldn't have wanted to leave this at 75% for so long, but it wasn't really avoidable._

_Tuatara asked why I wrote this fic. There are two parts to the answer. The first I mentioned in the first chapter. I lean towards Ranma x Akane WAFFy stuff. That's my natural inclination. However, I don't want that to be everything I write. I strive for versatility, and that means using a range of characters and types of stories. Much like Robin Williams and Jim Carrey doing _Photo Hut _and _Cable Guy_ respectively, I wanted to break out of my shell and go in an entirely different direction._

_The second reason I wrote this was to work on my biggest fault. You may or may not have noticed this, but I don't use a lot of adjectives. Not enough to suit me, anyway. You see, IRL, outside of the fanfic world, my tendency is toward the movie and television format. My friends and I like to write comedy sketches, and they're always in screenplay format. I'm a cinematographer at heart; when I write, I picture every bit of what's happening. Unfortunately, my natural tendency is to display it via storyboards, and I suck at using words to get the same message across. I'm trying to get better about that, and you might have noticed that in the last couple of chapters of _Chill Pill_, but I thought that something dark would be a great way to go about it. As I'd said before, I wanted to create an atmosphere a bit like some of the movie _The Crow_— not copying the storyline, but rather the dark atmosphere that seemed to be everywhere in every scene. I had to use very specific language to pull that off._

_I must say that I didn't much enjoy writing something so dark. I don't like sad things. However, I'm very proud of this fic. IMO, it was an outstanding success. My initial idea was to have Ranma die at the hands of a crazy fiancée, have Akane avenge him, and have someone die as Shampoo did, though I didn't know who. Now that I look back, I believe I made the right choices. Only by catching her off-guard could Akane have ever defeated Shampoo, and I absolutely believe that Shampoo would be more likely to panic if in danger. (So would Kodachi, frankly, but I didn't use her because I thought Akane could easily take her in hand-to-hand combat. Kodachi might be a champion of martial arts rhythmic gymnastics, but that doesn't make her any good bare-handed.) I think Ukyo's chapter worked great, too; she's not so crazy, and that level of mental stability would help her reel with whatever was thrown at her. Had Akane snuck a leg-gash on her, she wouldn't have tried to run for it._

_So, with all of that in mind, this fic worked very well for me. I think I did it right, all around. (And if you don't think so, well... I have something you can put in your mouth.) With that said, if you haven't gotten into the darkness, this chapter may redeem the series for you. It's not bright and sunny, but it is a bit of a lighter spot compared to what's been going on. I should also point out the epilogue— originally, I wasn't going to write it, but rather leave the story open-ended by stopping at the end of the dojo scene. However, I know that my open endings annoy the piss out of most of my regulars, and besides that, I think it allows us to see how the events of the story changed Akane. Once I brainstormed it, I realized that I couldn't possibly skip it._

_Okay, enough of my long-winded-ness. Enjoy the exciting conclusion to _Revenge_._

* * *

Akane walked down the street, glancing at the fence alongside the aqueduct. She'd walked along this road since before she could remember, but somehow she knew that, looking at that green fence, she'd always picture Ranma walking on it. This was the time of year, too; the time of year it was when Ranma first showed up. Boy, did they start rough. She truly did hate him at first, but it hadn't taken long for him to warm her heart. He had a way of doing that.

She stopped, leaning on the fence and gazing into the water below. It was right around here that she'd knocked him in after he told her that her short hair looked cute. Something about his words that day put her at ease more than it had been since he'd arrived. She was playful with him then, for the first time. That night, she barely slept, her mind racing. That was the first time that she _wanted_ to marry him.

Then, the thought came into her mind that it would never, ever happen. He was gone. Forever. She'd never have the opportunity to kiss him, hold him, marry him, or grow old with him. Never. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes, and she took a deep breath to keep her composure. She realized how true it was that you never knew what you had until you lost it. If she'd have known how little time they'd spend together, she'd have confessed her feelings a long time ago. It was so clear now just how petty some of their arguments had been.

A tear fell, hitting the water and sending rippling circles radiating outward. Damn them, Shampoo and Ukyo. And Kodachi, too. They could never accept that Ranma didn't want them. He tried to let them down easy... sure, he seemed happy enough accepting their gifts, but now that she looked back, she could see all the signs that he was trying to keep them at arm's length. But they just had to keep trying. She'd gotten her revenge on the two whose fighting got him killed, but... it didn't bring him back. Nothing could. She wiped her eyes. How dare they... they didn't have the right to take him away from her. She could have tortured them to death over a period of years and it would have been too good for them. Because they'd looked at him as some kind of trophy, she had to live her life without him.

Taking a breath, she turned and started walking again. She thought of the other part of losing Ranma. Before he'd arrived, she'd been in love with Doctor Tofu. Then, Ranma stole her heart— she'd always thought that her budding feelings for Ranma was what made her get over the doctor. Now... she had no idea. She didn't even want to imagine being with someone else, but she knew that eventually, it would happen. It had to; she couldn't be alone forever. Still, being the first time in many years that she had no man in her heart, she felt so... lost. She had no idea where to start. 'Maybe it's better that way,' she thought. 'I'll leave it alone until something comes my way that feels right.'

And just where was she going to find somebody as good as Ranma?

She was startled from her thoughts by a loud battle cry. She instinctively reached at her side, already realizing that she wasn't carrying her katana. She never did, unless it was a specific mission, and there wouldn't be any more of those. Seeing something flying her way, she dove to the ground as something unidentifiable whizzed over her head, smashing through a wall behind her. Jumping to her feet, she immediately found herself dodging something else. This time, she was able to see it, making out the image of a concrete garden duck as it flew past. Looking for her attacker, she quickly recognized Mousse, standing with a look of fury on his face. With another cry, a flurry of metal spikes came racing toward her; she only barely managed to jump out of their way, with a couple of them coming so close that they sliced lines through her sleeve.

A chain darted out for her, forcing her to dive to the street once again. Lying on her stomach, she knew that she couldn't keep dodging— she couldn't keep ahead of his attacks forever. She needed an attack, and quick. Looking up, she saw that she was under a streetlight, a tall pole with a horizontal arm holding the light. It gave her an idea. As the chain retracted, flying back toward Mousse, she jumped to her feet and latched onto the pole. Mousse threw something resembling a cannonball at her, and it hit the light pole, sending a web of cracks shooting out of the impact point and knocking several little splinters loose. Akane reached around and punched the broken spot with all of her might. The pole shuddered from the impact, and she could feel the top half start to wobble. With another punch it snapped. As she dove away, the pole crashed down, breaking off the light fixture on top as it slammed into the asphalt. Another duck sailed at Akane as she leapt in the air, landing in the road. With another leap, she rolled along the ground, grabbing the broken arm from the light pole as she went.

Jumping to her feet, she awaited his next attack. One thing was for certain: this was no ordinary match for him. He was not smirking with thoughts of imminent success, like he usually did. No, this time his face was a mixture of fury and immense sadness, like he couldn't decide whether to murder her or burst into tears. There was no doubt in her mind that he would kill her or die trying. He pulled his arms back and released his chains a second time. As they shot toward her, Akane stood her ground, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Just before the deadly weapons reached her, she jumped sideways, turned, and hit the chain as it whizzed past. Putting all of her strength into it, she was able to knock the nearest chain sideways, sending the end turning and flying back towards its sender. Mousse ducked as it raced toward his head, but he didn't move far enough. The chain grazed his face, stripping his glasses away.

Mousse looked around in a panic, fully aware that he couldn't defeat an enemy that he couldn't see. Obviously, his glasses were far to small a target for him to discern in his impaired state, and failing to find them, he started throwing his weapons wildly, missing Akane by a mile. She crouched, trying to figure a way to get close. Her chance came as he turned a bit to the side. Jumping up, she sprinted and tackled him. He landed hard on the road.

Akane expected a rough struggle to keep him pinned, but rather than try to throw her off, he laid his head back and began to weep uncontrollably. Tears streamed down his face pooled on the road beneath him as he opened his mouth to moan loudly. As she looked down at him, Akane saw the consequence of her mission of vengeance, something that she hadn't stopped to think about before. Just as she had to go on forever without Ranma, Mousse was now forever without Shampoo. She started to hate herself for what she'd done, but just as quickly, her memory of Shampoo's attitude toward Mousse brought a new thought into her mind. She looked down at Mousse, feeling almost angry at his open display of grief. Not because it was wrong to be sad, but because Shampoo hadn't been a good enough person to deserve it.

"You took my Shampoo," he weeped, tears streaming down his face. "I can't live without her... just kill me... let me be with her..." Akane stared down at him, in disbelief. How could he weep for her? She was so horrible to him! The anger started to rise in her, anger that was really directed at Shampoo for the way she'd treated him. Bringing an arm back, she slapped him hard across the face. "Mousse!" she shouted, grabbing the front of his robe. "Get ahold of yourself!"

The boy was so startled that he ceased his sobbing, looking up at her in confusion. She just shook her head. "Mouse, for crying out loud..." she said, more gently. "Mousse... why would you cry over Shampoo? She treated you more horrible than I've ever seen someone treat another human being. She was nicer to complete strangers than she was to you. She never loved you, Mousse! Can't you see that?" Mouse shook his head and opened his mouth to protest; Akane shook him hard through her grip on his robe. "Deny it all you want," she continued, "but some part of you knows I'm right."

She sighed. "Mousse... there are girls here and in China that would kiss your feet. Do you have any idea how much most girls want a guy who will be as devoted to them as you were to Shampoo? Instead, you're crying over the one person who did nothing but take advantage of your feelings. She never did anything but use you. I watched her. She'd bat her eyelashes at you when she needed something, and then turn around and beat on you because something made her angry. You deserve someone who will treat you like a _person_. Stop wasting your love on someone who never loved you back. _You're worth more than that!_ Go find a girl who deserves you. Someone who's good enough. Shampoo wasn't."

She stifled a sob, looking to the sky as her eyes started to fill with tears. "I wasn't either... for Ranma. I see it now. I always thought he wasn't good enough for me, but when I look back, I realize... They way I treated him, I didn't deserve him. But, listen to me— Shampoo didn't deserve you, either. This is the one good thing that can come out of all of this. You can start fresh. I'm sure you don't see it now, but your life will be better. You're the _only_ person in all of this mess who can say that."

She looked around, and, following one of his extended chains, saw his glasses tangled in it. She slid off of him. "You deserve to be happy, Mousse," she said softly. "Find someone who will make you that way. Please." With that, she leapt, landing by his glasses. She picked them up, tossed them onto his chest, and leapt again, landing behind a row of bushes. She lay on the ground, peeking out at him.

Mouse put his glasses on, slowly sitting up. He looked around for a moment, but, not seeing Akane where she was hiding, he simply stared straight ahead. Akane watched as he sat motionless, deep in thought. The minutes ticked by. After what seemed like an eternity, he stood silently. Holding his head high and squaring his shoulders, he turned and walked away slowly. There was an air of defiance about him. "I hope that's his sense of self worth coming to him," she whispered to herself. As soon as he was out of sight, she stood and started walking back toward the dojo.

She looked over her shoulder one last time. "Take care of yourself, Mousse," she whispered.

* * *

Ranma stared back from the photo as Akane stood in front of the new shrine hanging from the dojo wall. She smiled at the picture; Ranma was in mid punch against a practice dummy right there in the dojo. It was a great picture of him; sometimes, Nabiki's sneakiness with a camera came in handy.

She tapped the rin gong and backed away, turning to sit on the dojo floor. Closing her eyes, she remembered the time Ranma almost kissed her right where she sat. She didn't know if he'd have gone through with it, but she _did_ know that she'd desperately wanted him to. She'd never have admitted it to him, but at that moment, she wanted to kiss him more than she'd ever wanted anything in her entire life. She was a nervous wreck for the rest of the day.

And that was after Mikkado kissed him as a girl. Right before Ranma called her his fiancée and told Mikkado he'd kill anyone who messed with his fiancée. She sighed. No wonder she loved him so much. When he wasn't sticking his foot in his mouth, he was the sweetest person in the world.

She'd always thought that relieving the tension between them would have solved most of their problems. She was sure that she'd missed a million opportunities to make a move of her own... if only she'd have admitted her feelings. She knew at that moment that never telling Ranma how much she'd loved him would be her biggest regret she'd ever have. For the rest of her life, she'd be kicking herself over that fact.

She heard a footstep and opened her eyes to see Ryoga standing in the doorway. He smiled nervously. "Oh, h-hey, Akane," he said with a chuckle. "I managed to wander my way to your house. I thought Ranma might be out here." Akane's eyes widened, as it dawned on her that he'd been lost since before everything happened. He had no idea...

She motioned for him to come in, patting the floor directly in front of her. "Ryoga," she said softly. "Please, sit down. A lot of stuff happened that I need to tell you about..."

**Epilogue**

Four months later

Akane sat on the engawa, facing the koi pond. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the angry tears wanting to force their way out. This... whole... time... He'd been fooling her... this whole time... She'd never had the slightest inkling that Ryoga and her little pet P-Chan... but then, she decided to take him in the bath with her. She'd wondered why the little pig was struggling so hard, and then... she was already naked and in the furo, and the minute she set P-Chan in the water, an equally naked Ryoga popped out, immediately bolting for the door. The end result, of course, was Akane beating a naked Ryoga senseless in the yard for the entire neighborhood to see, but she wasn't thinking about that at the time.

She shook her head. Just when she was starting to trust again. Just when she thought it was safe to love again. Ryoga started spending his time around the Tendo house, and his friendship had been such a great comfort. They'd been able to spend so much time together— she hadn't seen Mousse since their encounter, or any of the other crazies that she'd had to deal with. They could just go places and talk, like normal people. Truth be told, she missed the craziness once in a while, but it was also nice to see things staying calm.

With all the quality time between them, she'd started to look at his masculine qualities. He was really shy in nature, and it came across absolutely charming— he was always so polite and soft-spoken. She tried to be level-headed, though. She'd written out a list of the qualities she wanted in a man, hoping to make a choice based upon reason and not entirely emotion. One day while she was mulling over it, Ryoga walked in. Lowering the paper to look at him, she realized the perfect man was right in front of her...

It had been a month since then; a week since their incident in the furo. A million different feelings swirled in her mind. Most of all, she felt so incredibly stupid. Ranma had even tried to warn her... Ranma... now _he_ was amazing. As if being betrayed by Ryoga weren't bad enough, it made her realize that she'd been yelling at Ranma as he was trying to protect her. He tried to keep Ryoga away without giving up his secret... it was so noble... and she'd responded by pounding him, thinking he was picking on the animal. She smacked herself in the head. Idiot... who picks on an _animal?_ She should have seen that there was more to the story...

As much as she tried to hate Ryoga, though, she just couldn't. The thought of how many times Ranma had tried to warn her had reminded her of P-Chan's behavior. Always looking away when she undressed, for example. It was hard not to notice an animal that seemed so intelligent. And acting protective of her even when he was too small to fend off a dog. All he was really guilty of was snuggling with her, something that wouldn't have been proper when he was a boy only because of the sexual aspect— which couldn't happen when he was an eight-inch pig.

She took a breath. If her losing Ranma had taught her anything, it was not to jump to conclusions. She'd done it to Ranma so many times, and now, she had with Ryoga, too. Maybe she shouldn't have beat him senseless. Maybe she should've let him run, and tracked him down later to talk. Letting out the breath, she came to the realization that anger would only make things worse. It was what continually ruined things between she and Ranma. She needed to talk to Ryoga. She wanted to ask him to explain things, even if she didn't like what she heard. It was the right thing to do. She had to at least hear him out.

She was startled by a rustling noise. Looking up, she saw a bush in the yard shake. Standing and walking over to it, she found Ryoga, in pig form, hiding inside. He trembled, his face a mixture of fear and shame. She picked him up, shaking her head sadly. "You got lost, huh?" she asked, as the pig nodded in reply. She turned toward the house. "I'll take you to the furo," she continued. "I want you to change back. We need to talk."

A few minutes later, they sat silently at the kotatsu, Ryoga donned in a robe that Akane had found for him. He was blushing furiously, unshed tears in his eyes. Akane sat, trying to think of what to say. After a few minutes of silence, it came to her. "Ryoga," she said calmly, "just tell me why. Why did you come into my bed with me? You could have ran when I tried to take you to bed."

Ryoga sighed, closing his eyes. "The first night you found me as a pig, and didn't know who I was... you gave me a kiss on the nose. Then, when you took me upstairs, you were holding me. No one's ever done either of those things to me before. You're the only person who ever cared for me like that, even if you didn't know it was me. I was sure you wouldn't do those things to me as a boy, so I... changed. I know that sounds pretty crazy."

He held up his hands in defense. "I promise I never did anything perverted, though. I swear! I never looked when you undressed or anything! That's not what I wanted. Not that you aren't pretty or anything, but it would have been disrespectful to... you know... peep at you... I just wanted to be held. It felt so good to be loved like that. That's all it was about."

Akane sat, with her chin in her hands, as tears started to come to her eyes again. "It doesn't sound crazy at all," she said, her voice cracking. "Everybody wants to be loved. You should have been able to find it without having to change forms like that." She stopped, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears started to flow. Ryoga put a hand on her arm. "Akane?" he asked. "You okay?"

Not coming up with an answer, she threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. After a moment of astonishment, he put his arms around her and held her. "Ryoga," she whispered. "After Ranma died I felt so alone. I know exactly how you felt. It feels terrible." She looked into his eyes. "And you were the one who made me feel cared for again. I don't ever want to feel alone again. I don't want you to, either."

She buried her face in his shoulder as he held her tight.

* * *

_A/N: There it is, folks. I'm going to keep this ending note brief._

_First, if you haven't heard, a company in Japan is making a live-action Ranma made-for-TV movie. It's expected to hit the airwaves in Japan in December. Google will get you the details._

_Second, I wanted to share with you what I'm going to be working on now that this fic is finished. I had this great idea to put out a section of the first chapter as a preview. I was given the idea by a practice that American TV networks engage in; during a commercial break in their prime-time lineup, they'll run an entire scene from some new show. My original plan was to do that here, in my ending author's note, but I found that it would've been longer than the entire chapter. Ergo, I'm going to make a page on my website dedicated to it; go and check it out:_

**jeremygu dot 99k dot org /wiki/Fanfics/Fall_2011_Preview**

_Thanks again for all the reviews. I hope you liked this one and the next one I'll be starting._


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Ranma, Horror, Tragedy